Respect the Kumquat

I’ve mentioned before that I really, really like kumquats, but prefer them fresh to candied. I hadn’t tried baking with them until today, though.

I really like my mini madeleine pan.

I think I’m going to try to bake with them at least once more while I can still get them, because these madeleines are absolutely awesome.

Fancy little afternoon snack.

I’m still keeping with my chosen theme of madeleines that compliment a specific type of tea, and I think kumquat works wonderfully with pretty much any green tea. The earthy, floral undertones of the tart fruit really go well with the grassy flavor of a nice green tea.

I sure hope those black things aren't ants!

I don’t know where the idea to add poppy seeds came from, but I’m glad I put them in. They have a slightly sweet, flowery flavor all their own that works great with the kumquat, and provide a nice texture contrast.

Speckly and cute!

They also made the madeleines look all spotted and adorable. It doesn’t hurt that the kumquats were pretty roughly pureed so there’s a lot of nice visual contrast with pops of orange next to little black dots. Mmm, dots.

I like my madeleines a little crispy on the outside.

The combination of kumquats and poppyseed would be perfect for mini muffins or even cakelets. Yeah, you could make regular-sized muffins or a full-sized cake, but kumquats are small and cute and I think they’d apprectiate being served in something that reflects that. These mini madeleines certainly fit that description.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Remove from heat, set aside and allow to cool.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the eggs and sugar until fluffy and tripled in volume (about 5 minutes). Add the kumquat and poppyseeds and beat until they are just mixed in. Sift in a small amount of flour mixture and fold it in to lighten the egg mixture. Repeat with the rest of the flour mixture until it is all folded into the batter. Take a small amount of the batter and whisk it into the butter. Once smooth, fold the butter into the batter by thirds. Once everything is fully incorporated, cover the bowl with plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375. Butter and flour your pan (or just butter if using non-stick). Place small rounded spoonfuls into the center of each scallop (less than 1 tsp if using a mini pan, up to 1 Tbsp if using a regular pan). Bake about 10 minutes for mini madeleines and up to 15 for regular ones. Once the madeleines are lightly golden and spring back when poked, remove them from the oven and whack the pan against the counter a few times, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Enjoy with your favorite good-quality green tea and store in an airtight container up to 3 days (freeze for up to 1 month).

I only have one more madeleine flavor planned out, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a really good one. And I wouldn’t hesitate to make these again, especially considering my green tea habit. You know how most people require coffee in the morning? I require a big, steaming cup of strong, smoky gunpowder. Which goes very well with these little guys!